The Impact of Natural, Artificial and Cultural Environments on Humans

2018-12-22 来源: 51due教员组 类别: Paper范文

下面为大家整理一篇优秀的paper代写范文- The Impact of
Natural, Artificial and Cultural Environments on Humans，供大家参考学习，这篇论文讨论了环境对人类的影响。人类文化深受自然环境的影响，这是人与自然相互作用的结果。在人类文化发展的不同阶段，每个阶段都与自然密切相关。在所有文化的原始阶段，人类依靠环境获得食物和住所。因此，自然环境成为了文化发展的基础。人类最初的脆弱性和对自然认识的缺乏，决定了人类在面对自然环境时的被动作用。

The
adaptation to the environment plays an important part in the birth of human
civilization. However, some people believe that humans are a superior being in
the world and the environment is only a passive factor in human history. Such
an idea is largely limited. In fact, the idea of environment is not confined to
nature, but also extends to living and family environment. Through adaptation
to the environment, different material and spiritual wealth are being created
as a response. Natural, ethnic and scientific cultures are thus created. One of
the most important factor to determine the development of humans in history is
the different layers of cultures, which is possessed by no other species.
Through generations the cultures are passed on and humans get to benefit from
the accumulation of wisdom by the previous generation. Tracing back to the
origins, it is the natural environment that shaped the perception of humans and
sparkled the creation of culture. Cultures are then used to both adapt to and
modify the environment, leading to artificial environments that most people
live in today. On a broader sense, the idea of environment also includes the
mental and spiritual aspects, which is mainly embodied in the family and social
structures of humans. In this essay, it is argued that natural, living and
family environments are more important that the intrinsic traits of humans in
determining the fate of both humans as a race and individuals.

The
human culture is deeply influences by the natural environment, and a result of
the human-nature interactions. Different cultures are created in the process of
understanding and alteration of nature (Peterson, 471). In the different stages
of development of human culture, every stage is closely correlated with nature.
In the primitive stage of all cultures, humans were dependent on the
environment for food and shelter. Therefore, nature becomes the basis of
cultural development. natural phenomenon and elements were worshipped, such as
plants, water, wind and rain. The initial vulnerability of humans and lack of
understanding of nature has determined the passive role of human faced with the
natural environment. With the development of human culture, a deeper
understanding of the nature has help humans to be more adaptive to nature,
leading to the divergence of cultures. As a result, tribe culture was replaced
by ethnic culture, which then became the fundamentals of different racial
groups. The development of language and science further diversified human
cultures and moved human civilization ahead. Although many people consider the
natural environment as only one of the conditions for human civilization, it is
much more important. From the ecological perspective, all actions of
civilization can be traced back to the adaptation to nature. Human beings
possess both the traits of nature and society, and the nature aspect has been
so deeply rooted in humans that the environment is still an important subject
after hundreds of thousands of years of evolution.

Entering
the age of modernization, many believe that the connection between humans and
nature has been diminished. However, the urban environment is still vital for
the quality of life. Although most humans live in cities, trees and grass are
still crucial elements in the urban environment. Nowadays, the percentage of
greenery has become an indicator in the evaluation of the urban environment.
Trees in the urban environment carry multiple functions. Firstly, most of the
land area in cities are occupied by buildings, leaving little space for other
parts of the ecology system (Townsend, 149). Trees thus become the remaining
habitat for birds and other species. Trees can also provide shelter and fresh
air necessary for the health of the people. Such functions will significant
reverse the detrimental effects of air pollution caused by vehicle emissions.
Greenery is regarded as the lungs for cities, because they can effectively
consume the carbon dioxides and produce oxygen. Trees will also alleviate the
“heat island” effect of cities by reducing the density of buildings and bring
flow of air into cities. Finally, humans are naturally attracted by green
color. Being able to see trees and grass in cities will significantly reduce
the stress of urban life and relax the mind of the people. Improvement in the
mood can bring intricate influences on the mood of the people, improving their
living standards. Therefore, greenery should not be only the auxiliary element
in the city landscape, but an integral part of urban planning.

The
promotion of a healthy environment, both natural and artificial, is crucial for
the aging society. Entering the 21st century, the percentage of senior citizens
in many countries have been increasing fast. The rapidly aging society is
creating new needs for the living environment. There are multiple areas that
needs reconsideration under the trend, including housing, healthcare,
recreation and transportation (Sykes, 68). Increasing number of older adults
are choosing to live in dedicate facilities, since they provide better care for
them. Therefore, the government is responsible for evaluating the future
demands and make plans to build more elderly homes. For the older adults living
in ordinary residents, improvement in the facilities should be made for their
convenience, such as installation of elevators. More comprehensive and
affordable healthcare plans should be promoted in the future. This concerns the
health of the older adults themselves and should not be overlooked in the
construction of a healthy environment. Public facilities such as handrails,
buses and subway should also be more considerate for the elderly. In addition
to making the lives of the elderly easier, it should also be noted that
loneliness is a major problem for the aging population. Without necessary
social interactions, the elderly group is more susceptible to depression and
other health problems. Therefore, more care from the society, as well as
increased social interactions should be promoted so that the elderly can become
an active part of the population.

It
is not only the right of the elderly, but the entire human race to seek better
living environment, because the environment can have both positive and negative
influences on individuals. The word “environment”, in the literal sense, it
what surrounds people. However, the effect of environment will not only be
external, but internal for individuals. The environment in which a person is
exposed to will be the determining factor in the way he or she interacts with
the world, and the ability to acquire happiness (Ristevski, 102). In any form
of social organization, family is considered the most influential in the
development of children. The structure, functionality, heritage, ethic and
religion backgrounds, economic status, cultural influences, personal
relationship, as well as the education levels and attitudes of parents are all
elements of the environment that is crucial for children. The two major
responsibilities of a family are a safe and health place to protect the
children from negative influences and the preparation for the children to enter
the society with appropriate behaviors and social capabilities. The success in
performing these two functions will make the children confident in the
supportive environment, and able to contribute actively to the society.
Although single parenthood is faced with difficulty to fulfill such duties,
there are still occasions where successful construction of a healthy
environment is observed. The family environment can also have negative impacts
on children, leading them to be untrusting, unconfident over sensitive and lack
of self-pride. The social functions will be significant impaired for these
children to enter the society.

The
influence of single parenthood on the family environment and the children is
profound. Before the formation of single parent families, many of the parents
go through long-term animosity and arguments, which directly leads to the
negative atmosphere in the family. Such negativities are easily projected onto
the children, causing sense of insecurity and emotional disturbances. Parents
are often unconsciously the teachers for their children, determining how their
children would perceive the world (Hampden-Thompson, 239). Thus, the
psychological damages caused by the conflicts before the divorce is much more
detrimental than the divorce or separation itself. There are also distinctions
between children from single-parent families. Those children whose parents had
more conflicts often suffer more by expressing aggressiveness and problems of
anger management. It usually takes a year or longer before the children can
find peace after the divorce. They experience a process from rejection, anger,
disappointment, to tolerance and indifference. The longer-term influences,
however, are largely dependent on the method of family education. Parents
should reflect on their own methods when the nurturing do not work as expected.
In addition to single parenthood, financial difficulties are also a source of
negativity in the family environment. A decreased quality of life is the most
direct outcome of financial difficulties. More importantly, many of the parents
in such families are too busy making a living and feeding their children, that
they completely ignore the emotional needs of children. The lack of
communication will diminish the bond between family members, leading to
inappropriate behaviors of children in the future and completing changing their
course of life.

Some
people argue for the nature of humans as the predominant factor in shaping
their behaviors. However, it should be noted that nurturing is even more
important. The construction of a caring and supportive family environment is
crucial for all children. In fact, there are multiple factors, macro, micro,
subjective, objective, long and short term, that shape the environment, making
it difficult to quantify the benefits of each. In a research conducted by Zappe
(147), 92 adolescents of both genders participated were assessed between the
ages of 11 and 19. The results have shown that children living with supportive
families exhibited much less risky behaviors. In comparison, children who
suffered from violence have a negative perception of their family and the
society. Antisocial behaviors are observed in some cases. It is thus important
for parents to be more caring and encouraging to their children. Methods of
reasoning, praise and discipline should be used, instead of punishment and
criticism. In addition, a friendly neighborhood will also make up for the lack
of supportive family environment. As children grow older, schools and teachers
will play a more important role in shaping the environment. Association with
peers is also important to help children get out of the negative emotions.
Supportive friendships will nurture the ability of children to engage in
effective social interaction. In contrast, bullies in schools and uncaring
teachers will further isolation children from the society. With adequate care,
some children from single parent families can be even more successful in their
future lives.

With
the development of civilization for thousands of years, people have acquired
the ability to alter the environment and move things into the positive
directions. Solid waste has become the problem in many cities, especially when
the population keeps growing. There is not a successful waste recycling model
to be adopted by modern cities (Lo, 441). In Hong Kong, waste management has
become the key problem hindering urban development. the government has proposed
waste collection policies, but the effects are not visible. In addition to
individual and household practices, the local communities should also be
involved to promote the reduction of waste generation. A promising future of
waste management is visible with the joint forces of environmentalists, social
researchers, and designers as well as common households. Success of such effort
have already happened in Japan, where the streets are among the cleanest in the
world. The improvement in the living environment and the cleanliness of public
areas, initiated by citizens, have had an influence on the people in return.
Living in a clean community will significant increase the sense of belonging
and pride for the residents, forging a harmonious atmosphere and culture in the
long term. improvement of the natural environment is also gaining increasing
attention with preservation of natural habitats and the ecosystem. In addition
to the physical environment, people are also focusing more on the importance of
family and schools in establishing a supportive and healthy environment for
children.

Despite
the level of development of humans in both ancient and modern times, they
should be regarded as product of the natural evolution, instead of the master
of nature. To maintain the advantage that humans have over the natural
environment, they must comply to the natural laws. The ambitions to conquer
nature will only destroy the natural environment and pose danger to humans at
the end. As a product of adaptation to nature, civilization will also perish
with damaged natural environment. Therefore, sustainable development is
important for the continuation of civilization. Nowadays, humans are still largely
dependent on the natural resources that are not renewable, making efforts in
reducing and recycling necessary for sustainable development. The ability of
alternation of the environment should be applied more on the artificial
environment, such as the cities. A significant increase in living quality will
be obtained through added greenery and facilities for the convenience of the
elderly. Finally, the construction of healthy mental environment is just as
important as physical environment, especially for children. Family, community,
school, teachers and peers are all crucial elements for the environment and
should be better managed as they can determine the future lives of the
children. In conclusion, natural, living and family environments are more deeply
rooted in the lives of all humans than commonly perceived, and should be given
much more attention for the continuing development of human civilization.

Lo,
Chi Hang. “Lifestyles and Recycling Living Environments, Social Changes and
Facilities in a Densely-Populated City.” International Journal of
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, edited by Siu, Kin Wai Michael, 2010, pp.
439-450.

Zappe,
Jana Gonçalves. “Risk and protection in the development of adolescents living
in different environments: Family and institutionalization.” Colombian Journal
of Psychology, edited by Dell'Aglio, Débora Dalbosco, 2016 pp. 140-173.